Canadian Press File Photo

By Liam Verster

Unemployment Rates

Grande Prairie region hit hard as Canada’s unemployment rate spikes

May 8, 2020 | 11:08 AM

Canada’s unemployment rate soared in April, as the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of non-essential businesses across the nation. In the course of a month, the national unemployment rate rose 5.2 per cent, from 7.8 to 13.0 per cent, as nearly 2,000,000 jobs were lost across Canada.

Alberta also saw it’s unemployment rate increase by 4.7 per cent in the course of a month as the COVID-19 pandemic forced temporary closures of non-essential businesses.

Statistics Canada says, for the month of April, unemployment numbers in Alberta reached 13.4 per cent, compared to 8.6 per cent for March.

(Statistics Canada)

The region that encompasses Grande Prairie was also impacted by the COVID-19 lockdown.

Meaningful Mementos

Remembering Someone You've Lost at Christmas

Dec 03, 2024

Seasonal Sorrow

How Do You Get Through The Holidays When You're Grieving?

Nov 01, 2024

Upcoming Events at Oliver's

Grief & Loss and Estate Planning Seminars

Oct 02, 2024

The Banff-Jasper-Rocky Mountain House and Athabasca-Grande Prairie-Peace River region saw the unemployment rate rise to 10.1 per cent in April 2020. That’s a 3.0 per cent increase to March 2020 (7.1), and a 4.7 per cent spike compared to last April (5.4).

(Government of Alberta)

Statistics Canada estimates 19,400 people in the region are now unemployed, compared to 10,800 in April 2019 and 11,900 in April 2018.

Meanwhile, the region’s labour force dropped to 191,300 in April 2020, compared to 198,900 in 2019 and 203,100 in 2018.

The figures also show that, in April, Alberta had the third highest unemployment rate in the Country, following Quebec (17 per cent) and Newfoundland and Labrador (16 per cent).